The Fairy: From the Traveling Merchant

Chapter 1052 Lone Chess in the Heavenly Ruins
"In short, Aya is clever but lacks wisdom and responsibility, which are her shortcomings."

"But once she has a clear goal, she acts decisively and skillfully. She is also cautious. She may not be a good candidate for the position of Pavilion Master, but she is a very good executor."

"This girl is aware of her own strengths and weaknesses, so she is waiting for the right price to sell herself, hoping to find a strong person to rely on. However, she has not been able to achieve this goal over the years, and this time she probably won't give up the opportunity easily."

"After all, with this girl's shrewdness, she has probably already figured out that Young Master Wang possesses a first-class great supernatural power!"

"Sigh, if she had put the same effort into practicing swordsmanship, she might have really achieved something. What a pity..."

Ling Wei sighed, then pondered the situation of "Palace Mistress Fuman":
"As the eldest of the three, Fu Man has sufficient prestige and demeanor, and her knowledge is also the highest among the three. She is also skilled in common goods, and it can be said that she built the current business system of the Three Immortal Islands single-handedly..."

"Perhaps it was because of the influence of that 'Cangxuan Pearl' that she valued her family too much."

"If Fengyin Pavilion were handed over to her, it would probably become the Fu family's private property in a few years... So she can be the head steward, but the position of pavilion master cannot be given to her."

"Furthermore, her 'affection' for Young Master Wang is rather strange. Although it cannot be ruled out that she wants to use the resources of a top noble family to promote the Fu family, I always feel that there must be other reasons."

After pondering for a moment, Ling Wei took a sip of the spirit wine before continuing to think:
"Compared to her, Bai Xue is much more outstanding. Putting aside her fourth-grade supernatural power, she is quite capable, responsible, fair in her dealings, and has a firm Dao heart..."

"Heh, back then, to avoid some philanderers disturbing her cultivation, she even created a Daoist partner."

"Although this method was rather crude, considering her young age at the time, it was still quite remarkable..."

"From all aspects, Bai Xue is indeed the best candidate for the Pavilion Master... but in the end, it's still a case of choosing the best among the worst."

"Compared to true geniuses, they're simply unbearable to look at..."

"Even the three of them combined aren't enough for Young Master Wang to play with!"

Recalling the scene in the main hall, Ling Wei sighed again.

"Fortunately, that young master has no ill intentions towards Fengyin Pavilion, and probably wouldn't be interested in this small business..."

"In fact, if we could really befriend such a prodigy, even if it were just the three of us together, it would be a win."

"At least if the family is ever truly wiped out in the future, given that young master Wang's character, he won't ignore it."

Ling Wei knew that her use of the "Dragon Pearl" to extend her lifespan was too hasty, and the chances of success were actually very low. It was just a last-ditch effort, so she had to try her best to leave more protection for the "Wind Chant Pavilion".

The phrase "take whatever you want" that she had Voman relay did indeed contain the meaning that Voman had imagined.

"The biggest crisis is that without my superior divine power of the third heavenly ladder, the magic treasure left by the ancestor will be too conspicuous... Just like back then, it will probably attract the schemes of many forces."

"This must include families and sects that are on good terms with our organization... Moreover, they don't need to use any drastic methods. As long as they find weaknesses and force Bai Xue and the other two to marry into their families, they can gradually infiltrate our organization."

"But Bai Xue and the other two all have their own weaknesses, making them easy targets."

"Originally, I had nearly three years left. If I had refined the 'Dragon Pearl' into a pill, I would have had at least ten more years to make arrangements at my leisure... But no matter how well I planned, I could not defy fate!"
"From this perspective, that young master Wang was truly a 'sunrise' ray of hope."

"I've done all I can, so let nature take its course. All the scheming and planning is ultimately just a remedy when things don't go as planned; there will always be unexpected events."

"In the end, relying on outsiders is not as good as relying on myself... If I can successfully subdue and refine the 'Dragon Pearl' and prolong my life, then this 'calamity' of the sect will naturally disappear."

With that thought in mind, Ling Wei took a deep breath, cleared her mind, picked up a storybook from the shelf, and began to read it with great interest, preparing for her final gamble.

Refining the "Dragon Pearl" requires not only adjusting one's physical condition to its best, but also reaching the peak of one's mental state.

Ling Wei, the "Lone Chess Master of the Heavenly Ruins" who is always overthinking, can only truly relax when she is slightly tipsy and reading stories...

"Is this a newly arrived storybook? An anecdote about a new character in 'The Tale of the Young Master'? Interesting..."

……

Just as Lingwei Pavilion Master had predicted, the "decisive" "Shuoyun Zhuifeng" Dong Caiyu visited Zhao Chen's room that very night. Zhao Chen, who already "knew" her intentions, did not refuse her deliberate attempt to get close. He discussed the mysteries of the "Path of Passion" with her, which made this female warrior, who was disguised as a cold and aloof sword cultivator, suddenly "hot" and intoxicated by the "beauty of the Great Dao" displayed by the "Five Emperors Paying Homage to the True One".

Speaking of which, although Zhao Chen had made progress in his relationships with the princess and Feng Wan, he did not take it to the end due to special reasons.

In other words, he hadn't actually eaten any "meat" for over a month since he said goodbye to Su Xuanbing.

Now that someone has willingly come to him, Zhao Chen naturally won't treat himself unfairly. In any case, he can afford to give whatever these female cultivators from Fengyin Pavilion ask for!
Moreover, by doing this, he actually put Lingwei Pavilion Master's mind at ease, allowing her to fight for her own destiny without any worries.

Zhao Chen sincerely hoped that Ling Wei could successfully prolong her life and wouldn't have to use his last "rescue" method. After all, compared to Dong Caiyu, Fu Man, and Bai Xue, he actually wanted this "Lone Chess Heavenly Ruins" more.

He wasn't after her beauty or her body, but rather he wanted to use her wisdom and scheming abilities for his own purposes.

Zhao Chen had also studied Ling Wei's past these days and knew that she had taken over the position of Pavilion Master during the crisis when the second-generation patriarch of Fengyin Pavilion, "Fairy Xuanqiong," mysteriously disappeared. Surrounded by wolves, she not only preserved the sect through various schemes and plans, but also crossed the third Heavenly Ladder under various suppressions. In the end, she used a secret technique and the power of a magic weapon to kill her great enemy and deter the villains.

This also allowed Fengyin Pavilion to develop again...

While this experience was inspiring, it ultimately wasted too many of her years and confined her to the Wind Chant Pavilion, preventing her from traveling and seeking opportunities. As a result, she remained stuck before reaching the "Dongxuan" realm even as her lifespan was about to end.

Although Zhao Chen also has the ability to plan and scheme, he knows that his skill level is still far inferior to that of this "lone chess player".

If she were to assist as a counselor, it would be an excellent help in breaking free from the control of the powerful figure behind the scenes.

"Hopefully she won't lose control... otherwise, even if she's saved with the 'Starship,' her value will decrease if she loses all rationality."

"After all, a crazy chess player is more likely to throw the chessboard rather than strategize... That's not bad, but I just don't have the ability to overturn the chessboard."

As Zhao Chen was secretly sighing, he heard a satisfied moan.

A thought struck him, and he finally grasped the profound mystery of the "Begonia Spring Rain Skill," a technique that embodies the "path of passion and desire." He allowed Dong Caiyu to enter a state of absentmindedness akin to "sudden enlightenment."

(End of this chapter)